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Ex-Spurs star Redknapp slams FA attitude towards England U21s

Former Tottenham and Liverpool star Jamie Redknapp has blasted the FA over their treatment of the England U21 setup.

Redknapp wrote in the Daily Mail: "Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain appeared in 25 Barclays Premier League fixtures for Arsenal last season, but completed a total of only 1,062 minutes. That's the equivalent of 11.8 full league games. So why wasn't he playing for England's Under-21 team at the European Championship?

"Too tired? It can't be that. He could have played his 30 minutes as a very useful substitute against Brazil, then hopped on a plane, travelled in luxury and been there for England's opening game against Italy.

"The FA can't say they don't treat players that way, because David Beckham used to do it with transatlantic flights from LA.

"He wasn't there because of the attitude of the Football Association, who have demoted and downgraded the value of an Under-21 cap and, with it, the chance of tournament experience.

"When I captained England at Under-21 level, I felt great pride. It was a privilege, not a punishment."